-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bahrain on Tuesday warned against anti-government activity one day ahead of its plans to lift emergency laws that had allowed for a crackdown on opposition leaders , journalists and other activists .

The country 's Ministry of Justice warned against `` any type of activities that could affect the security or harm the national peace and safety , '' Bahrain 's official news agency reported .

The lifting of the emergency laws , imposed in mid-March , is thought to be an effort to signal an end to months of civil unrest stemming from the Arab Spring , a wave of anti-government demonstrations that started in Tunisia and have since roiled several countries in the Middle East and North Africa , including Egypt , Syria , Yemen and Bahrain .

On Tuesday , Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa appealed for dialogue , saying that talks with opposition groups are scheduled to begin in July .

The U.S. pulled its human rights officer from the U.S. embassy in Bahrain after he became the target of a harassment campaign that senior U.S. officials say appears to have been fanned by some hard-line members of the government .

Ludovic Hood , who left the country last Thursday , was for months the subject of threats and anti-Semitic slurs on a pro-government website and officially sanctioned newspapers , the officials said .

Hood was scheduled to leave the country this summer , as his tour of duty was coming to a close . But senor U.S. officials said the embassy sent him home several weeks early over concern for his safety .

Last week , Bahrain said it had released 515 detainees imprisoned since the state of emergency went into effect , though it is unclear how many people are in custody .

The country is also set to hold parliamentary elections in September , filling seats vacated by members of the Wefaq party , Bahrain 's largest Shiite opposition group , which left in protest over the crackdown .

The government has since come under intense criticism by human rights groups over its detentions , including the arrest of at least two Wefaq lawmakers .

It is not clear whether those opposition leaders will be permitted to take part in the September elections , though Bahrain has said in the past that all accusations about detainees will be investigated .

Protesters initially took to the streets of Manama , the capital , to demand reform and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy . But some have called for the removal of the royal family , which has led the Persian Gulf state since the 18th century .

Young members of the country 's Shiite majority have staged protests in recent years to complain about discrimination , unemployment and corruption , issues they say the country 's Sunni rulers have done little to address .

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The country plans to lift emergency laws imposed since mid-March

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King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa appeals for dialogue with opposition groups

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The country is set to hold parliamentary elections in September

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U.S. withdraws its human rights officer over safety concerns